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Medicare Announcement

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CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES TO ISSUE NEW MEDICARE CARDS TO BENEFICIARIES

--Beneficiaries Need to be Aware that this is Not A Scam...

Beginning in April 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will start mailing new Medicare cards to all people with Medicare. A new alpha-numeric identifier will replace the current Social Security Number-based identifier. This roll-out will occur over a several month period, based upon geographic location of the Medicare beneficiary.

We have included a photo of the current Medicare card (left) and the new Medicare card (right) below. There are concerns that people might believe that this is a "scam," and therefore, will ignore notifications or throw new identification cards away. If you are a Medicare beneficiary, please watch your mail closely over the next few months for notifications from Medicare relating to this change. Medicare beneficiaries should begin bringing their new card with them to healthcare visits as soon as they receive it. Here is the way this will work:

NEWLY ELIGIBLE Medicare beneficiaries will get a card with a unique number, regardless of their geographic location.

Distribution of cards for current beneficiaries will be randomized by geographic location. People in LOUISIANA, ARKANSAS, MISSISSIPPI, AND TEXAS WILL NOT BEGIN TO RECEIVE THE NEW CARDS UNTIL AFTER JUNE OF THIS YEAR. However, they may begin to receive notifications relating to this change before that time.

Starting in APRIL, people with Medicare will be able to go to Medicare.gov/newcard to sign up for emails about the card mailing, and to check the card mailing status in their state.

People with Medicare should use the new card once they receive it, but either the Social Security Number-based (old) card or the new random alphanumeric-based numbers can be used through December 2019.